A geek by trade, Jordan has spent most of his life attending conventions and learning about the newest technological advancements. Although his passions primarily lie in media and new means of game design and gamification, he's fascinated with makers from all walks of life. He's also an accomplished Extra Lifer, YouTuber, and podcaster.

A geek by trade, Jordan has spent most of his life attending conventions and learning about the newest technological advancements. Although his passions primarily lie in media and new means of game design and gamification, he's fascinated with makers from all walks of life. He's also an accomplished Extra Lifer, YouTuber, and podcaster.

Life-Sized R/C Car

Stands to reason that if we grow up, then our toys should too. William Foster seems to think so, and hacked an old car to respond to a controller, essentially creating a giant version of a toy R/C car. The car he’s using looks like it’s about to fall apart (which I guess makes sense based on what it’s being used for), but it still looks pretty fun to drive. I’m more than a little surprised that Foster is comfortable actually riding inside his creation though.

After watching the video, all I can think about is how cool it would be to gather 4-6 of these cars, build a giant ball, and have a real-life Rocket League match. Without the flying part of the game of course.

Two Hands are Better than One

Admittedly, these hands respond pretty slowly, but the baseline for controlling two bionic hands with one human hand is there and that’s pretty cool. Depending on how fast the user moves their fingers, the bionic hands know to either grab something in one motion, or slowly curl each finger into a fist.

The hands were designed by an Italian start-up called Youbionic. It’s fascinating to watch their YouTube channel. There’s currently 34 videos and each ranges from 30 seconds to 4 minutes. They go back 3 years and detail the slow process of building this arm augment, from initial finger test prototype to the video above.

Make: Gift Guide 2017

If you’re still unsure about what to buy for a gift this year, check out our Gift Guide. We’re constantly updating it with new ideas, so it’s best to check the guide again if it’s been awhile since last you’ve looked it over.

A geek by trade, Jordan has spent most of his life attending conventions and learning about the newest technological advancements. Although his passions primarily lie in media and new means of game design and gamification, he's fascinated with makers from all walks of life. He's also an accomplished Extra Lifer, YouTuber, and podcaster.

A geek by trade, Jordan has spent most of his life attending conventions and learning about the newest technological advancements. Although his passions primarily lie in media and new means of game design and gamification, he's fascinated with makers from all walks of life. He's also an accomplished Extra Lifer, YouTuber, and podcaster.